stuck in reverse

neurosciencestuff: Pay attention: How we focus and...

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:52:16 -0500

Pay attention: How we focus and concentrate

Scientists at Newcastle University have shed new light on how the brain tunes in to relevant information.

Publishing in Neuron, the team reveal the interplay of brain chemicals which help us pay attention in work funded by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC.

By changing the way neurons respond to external stimuli we improve our perceptual abilities. While these changes can affect the strength of a neuronal response, they can also affect the fidelity of that response.

Lead author Alex Thiele, Professor of Visual Neuroscience explains: “When you communicate with others, you can make yourself better heard by speaking louder or by speaking more clearly. Neurons appear to do similar things when we’re paying attention. They send their message more intensely to their partners, which compares to speaking louder. But more importantly, they also increase the fidelity of their message, which compares to speaking more clearly.

“Our earlier work has shown that attention is able to affect the intensity of responses – in effect the loudness - by means of the brain chemical acetylcholine. Now we have shown that the fidelity of the response is altered by a different brain chemical system.”

In the paper, the team reveal that the quality of the response is altered by means of glutamate coupling to NMDA receptors (a molecular device that mediates communication between neurons). Carried out in a primate model, these studies for the first time isolate different attention mechanisms at the receptor level.

The research builds on the team’s previous studies and has potentially significant implications not only for our understanding of how our brains work but also give an insight into conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and attention deficit disorder, and may aid in the development of treatments for them.

the minute i come back from my vacation, i have all this shit thrown in my face....

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:24:19 -0500

the minute i come back from my vacation, i have all this shit thrown in my face. sigh…where’s my next vacation…

likeafieldmouse: Moises Mahiques - Violence Happening Location...

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:45:17 -0500

likeafieldmouse:

Moises Mahiques - Violence Happening Location (2008-10)

adamsenatori: “Super jumbo II” A380

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:41:50 -0500

adamsenatori:

“Super jumbo II” A380

as much as i think i can be a really shitty human being, i think i deserve to be happy. but i even...

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:16:28 -0500

as much as i think i can be a really shitty human being, i think i deserve to be happy. but i even managed to take that away from myself..

Photo

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:01:04 -0500

rimbaudwasademonchild: “I have Dalinian thought: the one thing...

Sat, 11 May 2013 09:50:44 -0500

rimbaudwasademonchild:

“I have Dalinian thought: the one thing the world will never have enough of is the outrageous.”

Happy Birthday Salvador Dalí you outrageous basterd!
(May 11th 1904 - January 23th 1989)

imprecise: Leif Podhajsky

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:57:28 -0500

imprecise:

Leif Podhajsky

martr0n: Gerardo Feldstein

Wed, 08 May 2013 23:00:35 -0500

martr0n:

Gerardo Feldstein

Photo

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:50:05 -0500

fuckwooper: money is so stupid and unnessecary we’re meat creatures on a rock floating in space and...

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:17:02 -0500

fuckwooper:

money is so stupid and unnessecary we’re meat creatures on a rock floating in space and our entire lives are dominated by little bits of paper

"You’re still going to get criticized, so you might as well do whatever the fuck you want."

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:23:34 -0500

“You’re still going to get criticized, so you might as well do whatever the fuck you want.”

- Kathleen Hanna (via xynh)

a-ppunti: Mona Hatoum, Impenetrable, 2010, steel and fishing...

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:19:39 -0500

a-ppunti:

Mona Hatoum, Impenetrable, 2010, steel and fishing wire

Mona Hatoum. Interior Landscape, Fondazione Querini Stampalia, 4 giu-20 sett 2009

arquerio: Skógafoss (3) by Matrok on Flickr.

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:05:27 -0500

arquerio:

Skógafoss (3) by Matrok on Flickr.

Photo

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:50:08 -0500

Photo

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:49:33 -0500

mitjaissick: Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, 5. May 1813 –...

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:42:11 -0500

mitjaissick:

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard,

5. May 1813 – 11.November 1855

i dont remember who i used to be anymoresometimes when i’m driving and i look at the rear view...

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:38:05 -0500

i dont remember who i used to be anymore
sometimes when i’m driving and i look at the rear view mirror, i see a stranger and it scares me.

who have i become…

humansofnewyork: “What’s your favorite thing about your...

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:50:20 -0500

humansofnewyork:

“What’s your favorite thing about your son-in-law?”
“He’s kind and generous.”
“And what’s your favorite thing about your mother-in-law?”
“She’s old and ugly.”

(San Francisco, CA)

un-gif-dans-ta-gueule: Samsara - Ron Fricke

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:43:20 -0500

un-gif-dans-ta-gueule:

Samsara - Ron Fricke